Liquid-dispenser.



' W. P. -SPRAGUE.

LIQUIDDISPENSER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1914.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

IIIIIIIIII/ INVENTOR. w P Si /F196 uE WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

WILLIAM P. SPRAGrUE, 0F SAN'FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

LIQUID-DISPENSER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

Application filed May 5, 1914. Serial no. 836,453.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. SPRAe-UE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a certain new and useful Liquid-Dispenser, of which the following is a specification.

The invention contemplates an improvedfrom I the.

cover the invention in whatever form it may be embodied.

Referring to the drawing'annexed to this specification and forming a part thereof: Figure l is a side view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of a dispenser embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a view of a ring clamp for engaging the receptacle of the dispenser to support the receptacle. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a perforated disk which rests in the upper end of the dispenser spout. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a perforated disk adapted also to fit in the dispenser spout in coaptation with the disk shown in Fig. 3.

The dispenser comprises a receptacle which may be in the form of a glass globe 2, which is provided with a circumferential groove near its mouth in which is adapted to fita split ring 3. The ends of the ring at the point where it is split have arms 4: and 5 extending therefrom, the inner faces of which are flat and lie adjacent each other when the ring is contracted while the outer faces thereof are semi-cylindrical so that then their fiat faces are adjacent each other the two arms form a single cylindrical arm. The ring may be expanded so that it may he slipped over the mouth of the receptacle to the receptacle groove or removed from the groove and receptacle over the mouth thereof. The ring may be contracted into said groove so that the receptacle can turn in the ring. but cannot come out of it. When the ring is contracted in the receptacle groove and the arms 4: and 5 are brought together into cylindrical form, said arms are adapted to rest in a cylindrical opening in a bracket 6 which is attached to a wall or other support to support the dispenser on said bracket.

The receptacle 2 is provided with an exterior screw-thread a at its mouth on which thread screws an interiorly threaded cap 7,

' which cap has a downwardly projecting spout 8. The joint between the cap and the mouth of the receptacle is effectively sealed a feltwasher The bore of said spout 1s conical -in. shape, converging slightly downwardly, the lower portion which forms a seat for the upper portion of a frustoconical valve plunger 14. Said seat and plunger form a valve for controlling the discharge of the liquid from the dispenser as will be hereinafter more fully set forth. The lower portion of said plunger projects downwardly below the lower end of the spout when the plunger is on its seat so that it may be pushed upwardly by the palm of the operators hand to unseat it. The diameter of the bore of the spout and the diameter of'the plunger are such that a considerable length of the upper part of the plungcr seats itself upon a corresponding length of the horeof the spout. thus providing an elongated valve which effectively closes the lower end of the spout when in its closed position.

A disk 15 having a small opening 16 extending therethrough screws'into an internal thread in the upper end of the bore of the spout. Said disk is provided with a groove 17 in its upper face for the reception of a screw driver to screw the disk into or out of the upper threaded end of the bore of the spout. A. container for containing the liquid to be dispensed is formed by the receptacle 2. cap 7 and disk 15. A chamber 2 is formed within the spout between the upper end of the plunger 14 and the disk 15 for the reception of the liquid from the container. The opening 16 is of such size that the lower surface tension of the liquid in the container and the attraction of the cap 7 is pro 'ided with an car 12 having a screw threaded aperture therein in which screws a screw 13 which screw passes through the bracket (l and screws into a screw-threaded recess in the arms land 5. Said recess is formed by forming part of it in the inner face of one arm and partin the inner face of the other arm and so that said parts register when said inner faces are together. When the screw through the car 12. and extends through the bracket (.3 and screws into the recess in the arms 4 and it locks the cap and ring 3 to the bracket so that the can cannot screw oil the mouth of the receptacle 2 and the receptacle cannot come out of said ring. The screw may have anv desirable head. but l prefer to countersink the aper ture in the car 152 and employ a screw llttV' ing; a head which tits within said aperture, so that said screw which comprises the lockin; means for the dispenser is concealed.

In filling the receptacle 2.. the screw 13 is first removed from the recess in the extensions land 5. The receptacle '2 is then turned upside down on the bracket 6 until the mouth of the receptacle is at the top thereof. the cylindrical extensions 4c and 5 turning in the cylindrical opening in the bracket as the fulcrum for the vessel. The cap 7 is then screwed oh the mouth of the receptacle and the receptacle is filled with the desired liquid. 'When' the receptacle is filled the cap is then screwed snugly onto the mouth of the receptacle. The receptacle is then turned intoupright position on its fulcrum so that the cap 7 is at the bottom of the receptacle and the spout- 8 extends downwardly from the cap. The receptacle is then turned to the right in the band 3 until the screw aperture in the car 12 and screw recess in the extensions 4 and 5 register with the screw aperture in the bracket (3. The screw 13 which remains screwed in the ear 12 is then screwed upwardly in the car through the aperture in. the bracket and screwed into the threaded recess in the e tensions 4 and 5 whereby the dispenser is locked in its normal operative position.

I have provided means for varying the amount of liquid discharged at each stroke of the plunger without varying the size of the plunger or spout. This is accomplished by means of one or more apcrtured frustoconical disks 18 which seat in the bore of the spout 8 below the disk 15 with their apertures in registration with aperture 16 in disk 15 and or; volume of the chamber 20 in said bore. By placing the disks 1% in. or removing: them from the bore of the spout 8. the length of the opening l6 is varied which varies the efi ectof the capillarity of the liquid flowing through said opening and consequently varies the amountof liquid which flows through said opening from the 13 screws nuances container into the chamber 2% the gel" 1% drops, so that the amount of liquid flowing through said opening corresponds to the amount necessary for the particular volume of the chamber 20 in order that the dis penser may operate. By this means I am able to build one size dispenser and adjust it to dispense various amounts of liquid to meet various requirements of service.

The length of the spout and the length of the plunger are such that when. the plunger is elevated to its fullest extent the upper end thereof engages a disk 18 or the disk 16, if the disks 18 are not in the spout. which limit the upward movement of the plunger so that the lower end thereof: will project below the lower end of toe spout when the plunger elevatedas well as when it is on its seat in its lowermost position. The lower end of the plunger therefore always rests considerably below the lower end of the spout so that the operators hand can never come into contact with the spout while pressing the plunger upward with. his hand: The spout consequently always remains clean and sanitary.

The discharging operation of in dispenser may be stated as follows: Assuming the dispenser to be in its normal. operative position as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing with liquid in the container and only air in the chamber 20, in this condition of the dispenser the liquid does not flow out of the container through the opening it; owing to the fact that the receptacle 2 is closed at the top, to the surface tension of the liquid across said opening and to the upward atmospheric pressure against the liquid across said opening. It. is believed, however, that the surface tension of the liquid and the upward pressure of the air in the chamber 20 are the controlling factors in preventing the liquid'in flowing through said opening, The operator places the palm of his hand against the lower end of the plunger 1t and pushes the plunger upwardly. The plunger, as it moves upwardly forces air in the chamber 20 up through the opening 16 and up through and above the liquid in the: form of bubbles. The liquid after the air passes through it is prevented from flowing out of the container through opening 16 as above stated. The operator then removes his hand from the plunger, which drops by gravity upon its seat and closes the lower end of the spent 8 during which movement liquid flows from the container through the opening 16 into the chamber 20 and air enters the chamber from the atmosphere through the lower end of the spout. The liquid partially fills the chamber when the plunger has seated itself and rests upon. the top of the plunger or lower wall of the. chamber. while the air which enters the chamber from the atmosphere takes its position in the chamber above the level of the liquid. In this condition of the dispenser the liquid in the container is prevented from flowing out through the opening 16 as above stated. When the chamber is thus charged with liquid, the operator again pushes the plunger H upwardly off its seat with the palm of his hand and the liquid flows from the chamber 20 between the plunger and the inner wall of the spout 8 and out of the lower end of the spout.

As the plunger is pushed upwardly the latter time to discharge the liquid from the chamber out through the spout, it pushes the body of liquid in the chamber upwardly and forces the air in thechamber above the liquid up through the opening 16 and up through and above the liquid in the container in the form of bubbles. As soon as the air in the chamber passes up through the lower surface of the liquid in the container, and while the plunger is elevated and the liquid is flowing out of the chamber 20 through the lower end of the spout, liquid is prevented from flowing out of the con tainer through the opening 16 as above stated. When the liquid has passed out of the chamber through the lower end of the spout, the operator releases the plunger and as it drops upon its seatthe chamber is again charged with liquid and air and liquid is again prevented from flowing from the container through opening 16 as above stated.

The dispensing operation of the dispenser may then be repeated until all the liquid is dispensed from the container.

The unique construction of the plunger valve, 5. 6., the slight convergence and elongation of its conical seating surface and its flat top which is normal to the axis of movement of the valve, give the valve when reciprocated, a positive and definite liquid ejecting action. The liquid and air in the chamber 20 cannot escape through the lower end of the spout until the valve is elevated a substantial distance off its seat for the reason that the elongated passage formed between the plunger and the lower end of the spout during the greater partof such movement is so narrow, that the liquid which enters said passage, closes the passage to the contents of the chamber. greater part of the upward movement of the plunger, the air in the chamber 20 is therefore subjected to a direct and positive upward pressure which positively forces it with considerable pressure through the opening 16 and up through the body of the liquid in the container 2 to the top of the container. ll hen the plunger valve has been elevated sufficiently to establish an. open passage between the valve and its seat, further upward movement of the plunger valve causes the liquid in the chamber to be eration of the dispenser.

During the tively forces the liquid out of the chamber and the lower end of the spout through the passage between the valve and seat. When -the plunger is released and beginsto descend, air enters the chamber 20 through the passage between the valve and its seat.

When the plunger valve has partlyv descended the liquid, which adheres to the valve and its sea-t, closes the passage between the valve and its seat so that during the-latter part of the seating movement of the valve the passage between the valve and its seat is closed and a partial vacuum is created in the chamber, into which liquid is forced from the container through the opening 16 by the pressure of the air on the top of the liquid in the container, and the chamher is charged with liquid to be dispensed. It is not possible to discharge all the liquid from the container through the opening 16 and spout 8, simply by holding the plunger 14 off its seat, in view of the fact that during such condition the liquid is prevented from flowing from the container through theopening 16 as above stated. Only a definite amount of liquid may be. discharged from the. dispenser while the plunger is elevated off its seat which is the charge of liquid in the chamber 20.

The proper width of the opening 16 is of the utmost importance to the practical op- If the opening is too large, the surface tension of the liquid will not be strong enough to perform its part in preventing the liquid from flowing from the container through the opening 16, when it is necessary'in the operation of the dispenser to keep the liquid in the container. For definite, correct and easy operation of the dispenser, the width of the opening should be less than one eighth of an inch but the opening will not prevent operation of the device if larger than one-eighth inch if the strength of the surface tension of the liquid he in proper proportion to the size of the opening. In practice, when ordinary liquid soap is dispensed, lhave found that an opening of two millimeters in width gives idealresults in the dispensing operation of the dispenser. T he opening, however, will perform effective service with many liquids even though it be much smaller than the preferred size of two millimeters. in fact there is scarcely a limit to which the width of the opening may be reduced without destroying its dispensing operation of many liquids. For liquids which. have greater or less surface tension than liquid soap, the size of the opening 16 may be changed accordingly to give ideal results without changing the prin ciple of operation of the dispenser and without departing from the spirit of the invention.

locking element extending through said apertures and engaging said arm and lockin said receptacle and cap to said bracket. ll. In a liquid dispenser, a container for containing the liquid, a spout depending from said container provided with a slightly downwardly converging bore, said container being provided with a small aperture in its lower wall leading into said spout, a frusto conical plunger valve adapted to reciprocate and seat in the bore of said spout, said plunger valve adapted to extend below the lower end of said spout when on its seat and means for limiting the upward movement of said plunger valve so that it will still extend below the lower end of said spout .when in its uppermost position.

12. In a liquid dispenser, a container for containing the liquid to be dispensed, a spout depending from said container provided with a slightly downwardly converging bore, said container being provided with a small aperture in its lower wall leading into said spout, a frusto-conical plunger valve adapted to reciprocate and seat itself in the bore of said spout, said plunger valve being adapted to extend below the lower end of said spout when on its seat, said apertured container wall being adapted to limit the upward movement of said plunger valve so that it will still extend below the lower end of said spout when in its upper tainer for the liquid, a chamber dependingfrom said container provided with a slightly downwardly converging bore, said container being provided with a small aperture in its lower wall leading into said chamber, a frusto-conical plunger valve piston adapted to reciprocate in said chamber to eject liquid positively from said container out through the lower end of said chamber and to seat itself in said conical bore to prevent the liquid'from flowing out of the container through said chamber, the seating portion of said valve piston in said bore being elongated so as to effectively close said chamber when said valve piston is on its seat.

In testimony whereof, Ihave hereunto set my hand at San Francisco, California, this 29th day of April 1914,

WILLIAM P. SPRAGUE.

In presence of.

H. G. PRosT, W. W. HEALEY. 

